THE CHIEF MAGISTRATE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 185, 5 August 1913, Page 6

THE CHIEF MAGISTRATE.

WHO SHOULD ELECT HEW 7

MUNICIPAL AMENDMENT PROPOSED.

The proposals in the Municipal Corporations Amendment Bill meet in a general way with the approval of the Deputy Mayor (Mr. John Court).

The election of the Mayor by the members of the Council is a-n alteration that Mr. Court entirely favours. "It is a very good idea," he said to a "Star reporter this morning, "and it works well in practice. It is done all over the Old Country, and where eon you get better men than they have for Mayors?" Mr. Court mentioned, as an instance, the successive Mayors of Birmingham from Mr. Joseph Chamberlain onwards. Every one of them bad made a name iv the British House of Commons, and some of them had reached Cabinet rank. The high' place that the Lord Mayors of London had taken in history was too well known to require elaboration. Right throughout the Old Country there were -men in the office of Mayor elected by their fellow councillors, and fulfilling the unties of their office with credit to themselves and to their town-

Mr. Court rather favoured the introduction of the aldeTman system at the same time, although, -he explained, he did not want to see political feeling come into municipal affairs. This method, even if the alderman system were, not followed in conjunction with it, ensured that the man who was elected to mayoral ofike was a. man who had 6hown his qualifications as a councillor. The election of aldermen, for a term of seven years, would, ensure tbe presence in power always of someone who knew the business of the city thoroughly. Mr. Court expressed some disappointment that the amendment bill did not propose to have councillors elected for a term of three years. That period, he thought, was "much more suitable than two years. Every other local body election -was for three years, and it was somewhat of an anomaly that election to a city or borough council should be only for two years. There was the saving- of expense to be considered, too, and this was another point in favour of the abolition of the election of Mayor by the electors.